Abstract Roses with heavy morning dew

kchamber4 · 12-07-2016, 01:34 PM

Help. What could I have done to make these pictures sharper. Especially trying to get the reflection of the roses in the dew drops. What did I do well if anything, and what should I have done differently.

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**Bruce Clark** · 12-08-2016, 03:02 PM

Not at all a bad start. I can offer a few general tips.

Mode. Switch to TaV mode. These settings are a good starting point. A significant point is that most lenses are not at their best when wide open.

Aperture - f11
Shutter - 1/250th
ISO - Camera looks after that. You may get noise in low light. Treat that in processing or get more light on the subject.

Manual focus. Focusing can be very tricky especially if there is any wind. Auto focus just can't do what you visualise. Actually a good method is to focus by moving the camera back and forth.

Lens. A dedicated Macro lens will give greater magnification and a shorter minimum focusing distance. There are alternatives. A good guide is this B+H Video

Isolate the subject. Often difficult especially with foliage but look for flowers that stand out from the rest.

Background. Check the background as you are shooting for any intrusions. A blotch of colour might add to or detract from the image. #1 and #2 in your series are not too bad #4 has a very messy background. Often a very slight change in angle can make all the difference.

Crop out distracting elements. Don't be afraid to crop

Depth of field. Check out a DoF calculator for your camera/lens combo. Often it is better to stand back slightly to get better DoF and then crop to get your final image. Be aware of the background.

Take lots of photos.

Good luck

**Bruce Clark** · 12-08-2016, 03:39 PM

I have taken the liberty of performing some adjustments to your 4'th image.

Cropped to remove poor background and highlight the flower
Add Vignette. Further subdues background and puts emphasis on the flower.
Clone out distracting highlights
Slight boost to contrast
Sharpening

Five minutes only in Photoshop Elements

All the best.

kchamber4 · 12-08-2016, 04:27 PM

Bruce, Thanks for tips. Would a true Macro lens have gotten the image reflected in the dew drop in images 1, 2 & 5 sharper or is that beyond the capabilities of a lens. I didn't even notice the image in the dew drop until after taking the pictures. My whole purpose of these shots was to compare and contrast the two lenses and their sharpness in close images. The Sigma 70-300mm has a 1:2 Macro capabilities, but the color is not as vibrant as the Pentax 28-105.

Still trying to find an inexpensive, and decent KA lens in the 100 - 135 mm range.

**Bruce Clark** · 12-08-2016, 10:42 PM

Originally posted by kchamber4

Bruce, Thanks for tips. Would a true Macro lens have gotten the image reflected in the dew drop in images 1, 2 & 5 sharper or is that beyond the capabilities of a lens. I didn't even notice the image in the dew drop until after taking the pictures. My whole purpose of these shots was to compare and contrast the two lenses and their sharpness in close images. The Sigma 70-300mm has a 1:2 Macro capabilities, but the color is not as vibrant as the Pentax 28-105.

Still trying to find an inexpensive, and decent KA lens in the 100 - 135 mm range.

A "true" Macro Lens is considered to have a magnification ratio of 1:1 at its minimum focusing distance (MFD). I say true as there is no universal definition. There are lenses of higher magnification and of lower but 1:1 is the most common. Another quality of Macro lenses is a flat field of focus as opposed to a "normal" lens which might exhibit a slight curve in its focal plane meaning that you may not be able to get the whole frame in focus. Macros lenses tend to be of higher quality that a standard lens and so are often more expensive.

I have the Sigma 70-300 and as you say its ratio is 1:2 at MFD of 0.95 metres. This means that an object with a height of x will project an image of 0.5x on the sensor when focused at MFD
I also have a Sigma 105mm Macro which has a magnification ratio of 1:1 at its MFD of 0.313 metres. In other words I can closer to the same object and have it project an image with the height of x on the sensor.

Taking this out to the the subject of water droplets, they are still quite small and will not fill the sensor on their own without other measures.

There are a number of members on the forum who make wonderful images of droplets and their reflections. You can do a search for them. The reflection in the droplet is inverted and the depth of field of the reflection is extremely narrow. It can be very difficult to capture but also it can be highly satisfying.

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12-08-2016, 03:02 PM	#2
Bruce Clark Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Ocean Grove, Victoria Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,458	Not at all a bad start. I can offer a few general tips. Mode. Switch to TaV mode. These settings are a good starting point. A significant point is that most lenses are not at their best when wide open. Aperture - f11 Shutter - 1/250th ISO - Camera looks after that. You may get noise in low light. Treat that in processing or get more light on the subject. Manual focus. Focusing can be very tricky especially if there is any wind. Auto focus just can't do what you visualise. Actually a good method is to focus by moving the camera back and forth. Lens. A dedicated Macro lens will give greater magnification and a shorter minimum focusing distance. There are alternatives. A good guide is this B+H Video Isolate the subject. Often difficult especially with foliage but look for flowers that stand out from the rest. Background. Check the background as you are shooting for any intrusions. A blotch of colour might add to or detract from the image. #1 and #2 in your series are not too bad #4 has a very messy background. Often a very slight change in angle can make all the difference. Crop out distracting elements. Don't be afraid to crop Depth of field. Check out a DoF calculator for your camera/lens combo. Often it is better to stand back slightly to get better DoF and then crop to get your final image. Be aware of the background. Take lots of photos. Good luck

12-08-2016, 04:27 PM	#4
kchamber4 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Conroe, TX Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 154 Original Poster	Bruce, Thanks for tips. Would a true Macro lens have gotten the image reflected in the dew drop in images 1, 2 & 5 sharper or is that beyond the capabilities of a lens. I didn't even notice the image in the dew drop until after taking the pictures. My whole purpose of these shots was to compare and contrast the two lenses and their sharpness in close images. The Sigma 70-300mm has a 1:2 Macro capabilities, but the color is not as vibrant as the Pentax 28-105. Still trying to find an inexpensive, and decent KA lens in the 100 - 135 mm range.

12-08-2016, 10:42 PM	#5
Bruce Clark Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Ocean Grove, Victoria Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,458	Originally posted by kchamber4 Bruce, Thanks for tips. Would a true Macro lens have gotten the image reflected in the dew drop in images 1, 2 & 5 sharper or is that beyond the capabilities of a lens. I didn't even notice the image in the dew drop until after taking the pictures. My whole purpose of these shots was to compare and contrast the two lenses and their sharpness in close images. The Sigma 70-300mm has a 1:2 Macro capabilities, but the color is not as vibrant as the Pentax 28-105. Still trying to find an inexpensive, and decent KA lens in the 100 - 135 mm range. A "true" Macro Lens is considered to have a magnification ratio of 1:1 at its minimum focusing distance (MFD). I say true as there is no universal definition. There are lenses of higher magnification and of lower but 1:1 is the most common. Another quality of Macro lenses is a flat field of focus as opposed to a "normal" lens which might exhibit a slight curve in its focal plane meaning that you may not be able to get the whole frame in focus. Macros lenses tend to be of higher quality that a standard lens and so are often more expensive. I have the Sigma 70-300 and as you say its ratio is 1:2 at MFD of 0.95 metres. This means that an object with a height of x will project an image of 0.5x on the sensor when focused at MFD I also have a Sigma 105mm Macro which has a magnification ratio of 1:1 at its MFD of 0.313 metres. In other words I can closer to the same object and have it project an image with the height of x on the sensor. Taking this out to the the subject of water droplets, they are still quite small and will not fill the sensor on their own without other measures. There are a number of members on the forum who make wonderful images of droplets and their reflections. You can do a search for them. The reflection in the droplet is inverted and the depth of field of the reflection is extremely narrow. It can be very difficult to capture but also it can be highly satisfying.